The fascinating life of Chris Kyle, the 'American Sniper'

Actor Bradley Cooper thanks U.S. soldiers in this behind-the-scenes video of his film 'American Sniper', in which he portrays real life Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. He says Kyle was "dynamic and charismatic" and he hopes the film rings true.
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Before it was a high-grossing, Oscar-nominated movie starring Bradley Cooper, American Sniper was a best-selling memoir by former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Kyle was considered the most deadly sniper in U.S. military history.

Whether you've already seen the movie, want context before you go or just want to know more about the man behind the story, here is what you need to know about Kyle.

(Spoilers ahead.)

Service in Iraq: He was born April 8, 1974, in Odessa, Texas. A member of SEAL Team 3, Kyle served four tours in the Iraq War. In his time there, he is purported to have shot and killed more than 160 targets. He was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. He was honorably discharged in 2009.

"Devil of Ramadi": In Iraq, Kyle was so well-known that he was given the nickname "Devil of Ramadi" by Iraqi insurgents, who put a bounty on his head. His job was to stop the enemy from killing fellow U.S. servicemembers. One of his often-cited anecdotes is making the decision to shoot a woman who was holding a grenade underneath her clothes — but who also had a child standing nearby — as Marines approached. He's also cited for shooting an enemy from 2,100 yards away.

Former Navy SEAL and author of the book "American Sniper" poses in Midlothian, Texas, in April 2012.(Photo: File photo by Paul Moseley, AP)

Murdered by fellow servicemember: Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were shot and killed at the Rough Creek Lodge in Texas on Feb. 2, 2013. Kyle was 38. The man accused of shooting them is Eddie Ray Routh, 25 at the time, who was a corporal in the Marines from June 2006 to January 2010. Kyle and Littlefield had brought him to the shooting range for practice. Routh had been taken to a mental hospital twice in the five months leading up to the incident and was suffering from PTSD. Routh's trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 11.

Fight against PTSD: Kyle helped found FITCO Cares, a non-profit group that helped those struggling with PTSD, where he mentored other veterans with war injuries.

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Sued by Jesse Ventura: In a case that settled on July 30, 2014, a federal jury awarded former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura $1.8 million in a defamation lawsuit against Kyle. In American Sniper, Kyle writes that he punched and knocked down Ventura on the sidewalk outside a California bar for making disparaging comments about the war in Iraq, a claim Ventura denied. Ventura faced criticism for not dropping the lawsuit after Kyle's death.

Former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, center, leaves federal court in St. Paul in December 2014. A jury awarded $1.8 million to former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura in his lawsuit against the estate of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle in July.(Photo: Elizabeth Flores, AP)

Kyle started his own company: When he left the Navy in 2009, Kyle co-founded Craft International, which provided tactical training to military and law enforcement. After Kyle's death, Craft became embroiled in legal and financial troubles. In 2013, Kyle's wife, Taya, filed suit against Steven Young and Bo French for conspiring to "steal" the company. In September 2014, Taya sued the now-bankrupt company so it would stop using her husband's image to sell merchandise.

Hollywood calls: Bradley Cooper, who portrays Kyle in American Sniper, reportedly packed on 40 pounds of muscle with a rigid workout and diet regimen. He trained with SEALs who worked with Kyle, including Kevin Lacz, Kyle's sniper partner during his last two tours. He also originally bought rights to the film and had a conversation with Kyle before his death. Cooper tells USA TODAY's Bryan Alexander, "I did tell him how serious I was about making this movie. And he should just know that whatever fears he had about Hollywood, to just put them aside and trust me. That I was going to do everything I could to tell this story."

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"American Sniper" tells the story of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle who the military credits with the most confirmed kills of any marksman in American history. Starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. Directed by Clint Eastwood.
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Other work: Kyle wrote a second book, this one with author William Doyle, which was published after his death. It's called American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms. USA TODAY reviewer Stephen Hunter praised it as "a celebration of Kyle's voice and life." Also published: The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle: American Sniper, Navy SEAL, an e-book by journalist Michael Mooney, which was released on April 23, 2013. (And for those interested in the genre, here's a roundup of more Navy SEAL memoirs, including No Easy Day by Mark Owen, which recounts the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.)